Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

American Idioms AFS > American Idioms 4, B > Flashcards

American Idioms 4, B Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Baby blues

A

Blue eyes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Back at you

A

Same to you (used to return a greeting or insult)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Back in the day

A

In the past, some time ago

“Back in the day, he’d had one of the greatest minds I’d ever come across”.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Back to square one

A

Back to the start; forced to begin something again

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Backburner (on the)

A

Not urgent; set aside until later

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Backing and filling

A

Delaying a decision by making small changes or arguing about small details

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Backroom boy(s)

A

People who work in anonymity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Bad blood

A

To have ill feelings towards someone

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Bad taste in one’s mouth

A

Unease, a feeling that something unspecified is wrong in a situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Bail out

A

To rescue someone from a bad situation, to shield someone from the consequences of his or her actions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Bat an eye

A

To avoid expressing surprise, fear, or shock

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Bat/Play for both teams

A

To be bisexual

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Bat/Play for the other team

A

To be homosexual

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Be an item

A

Two people are an item when they are having a romantic relationship

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Be kovey–dovey

A

Expressing your love in public by constantly kissing and hugging

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Be footloose and fancy-free

A

To be free of responsibilities, including romantic commitments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Beat the air

A

Fighting without any purpose

“You are just beating the air if you want to turn him into a good boy”.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Beat the heat

A

Finding a way to stay cool when it is very hot outside

“I have found that drinking a cool glass of water helps to beat the heat in summer”.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Beau monde

A

A fashionable society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Beck and call

A

Being completely available to someone when needed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Beef up

A

To become big and muscular

“Google has beefed up its search algorithm to provide the best quality search result to its users”.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Beggar the neighbor

A

To do something beneficial for oneself without worrying about how it affects others

23
Q

Behind the eight (or 8) ball

A

At a serious disadvantage

24
Q

Belle of the ball

A

The most beautiful woman in gathering

25
Q

Belly laugh

A

Loud, hearty laughter

26
Q

Bet one’s bottom dollar (on something)

A

Be certain that something will happen

27
Q

Bet the farm

A

Risk everything; spend all one’s money on something in hopes of success

28
Q

Between a rock and a hard place

A

Having two very bad choices

“I hate my job but cannot quit owing to my economic condition. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place”.

29
Q

Between the devil and the deep blue sea

A

Between two equally difficult or unacceptable choices

“I’m really stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea”.

30
Q

Beyond the shadow of a doubt

A

Absolutely certain

31
Q

Beyound the pale

A

Unacceptable

“Nobody will want to be friends with you if you are considered beyond the pale in your social circle”.

32
Q

Bigger fish to fry

A

To have other, more important things to do

“You are not worth my time or energy; I have bigger fish to fry”.

33
Q

Bite the head off

A

Overreact in an angry or harsh way

“His mother nearly bit his head off when he got his new shoes dirty”.

34
Q

Black and blue

A

Hurt, either bodily, emotionally, or psychologically

“The man beat his own mother black and blue!”

35
Q

Blast from the past

A

A way to refer to something or someone reminding you of an earlier time.

36
Q

Blind as a bat

A

Unconscious to something

“Maria is so in love she is as blind as a bat when it comes to Mark’s rude behavior”.

37
Q

Blind impulse

A

The sudden and unaccountable desire to do something

38
Q

Blood, sweat, and tears

A

Putting a lot of effort to get a task done

39
Q

Blow away the cobwebs

A

If something blows away the cobwebs, it makes you feel more lively and refreshes your ideas

40
Q

Blow away

A

Impress someone very much

41
Q

Blow hot and cold

A

Shift one’s level of enthusiasm repeatedly

42
Q

Blow mind

A

Upset or distract

43
Q

Blowing smoke

A

To intentionally misinform or deceive.

44
Q

Bosom friend

A

Best friend who is very close to you

45
Q

Break new ground

A

To do something innovative

46
Q

Break the mold

A

To do something different from what is expected

47
Q

Bright spark

A

An intelligent and lively person (humorously).

48
Q

Brown study

A

Melancholy mood accompanied by deep

49
Q

Bury head in the sand

A

Hide from the truth

50
Q

Bury the hatchet

A

To stop fighting or arguing or to end old resentments

51
Q

Button your lip

A

Stop speaking

52
Q

Buy the farm

A

To die

53
Q

By dint of

A

As a result of something

54
Q

Black mood

A

To be angry, irritable, or in a temper

“Geoff was in one of his black moods today, and no amount of cajoling could snap him out of it”.

American Idioms AFS (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions